Monday, March 30, 2009

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (I use chunky)
1/4 cup shortening, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients. Shape into 1 1/4" balls and place 3" apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Flatten them with a fork in a crisscross pattern and bake until browned, 9-11 minutes. Cool for a minute on the sheet then transfer to a rack.

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Ok, I know some of you are looking at this recipe and thinking "Wtf? Why so simplistic?" Well it's so simple because it's from a kids cookbook, Alpha Bakery. It's a little book that has a recipe for each letter of the alphabet and it's one that my girlfriend has many fond memories of. Specifically the banana bread. The main changes I made to the recipe are adding the chocolate chips and using chunky peanut butter. But I also don't just dump everything into a bowl, mix it up and call it done. I... I just can't. It's not right, dammit! Sure, it's fine for little kids, but I'm a big kid now, so I cream my sugar and fats, whisk together my dry ingredients (sometimes...) and I eat chunks of dough raw. Well, I guess little kids would do that too, but... I don't know where I was going with this. How about I just show you what I did.

So first, the fats. I like the mix of shortening and butter in these, it gives them a little more body than normal peanut butter cookies but they still have that crispiness that is so good. Plus they need to be a bit more sturdy than average peanut butter cookies for what I am ultimately doing with them. But I won't tell you about that today. Because I'm mean. Heh. I added the sugars and creamed them a bit. Then the peanut butter. I always use chunky peanut butter in these cookies, I just love the extra texture and peanutyness. It does make it less pretty since forking it doesn't work as well with all the chunks, but frankly that's more than made up for by having more peanuts. Once I've worked in the peanut butter it's time for the egg. I started mixing before I remembered to take a picture, but you get the idea. Then the dry ingredients. I don't always whisk them together beforehand, although I know I should, but if I do just dump them in I give them a quick stir before I mix them into the other stuff. That counts for something, right? Right. Ok. Once that's all almost combined, I toss in the chips, then finish off the mixing. Then I formed up some big balls of dough. I needed the cookies to be big for what I had planned. The thing that I'll hint at again, but not clarify. Muhahaha! Heh, 'scuse me. Now, forking. Once each way, to make that crosshatch thingie that is synonymous with peanut butter cookies. Then baking, at 375, till brown and delightsome. And there you have it, chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. Good enough to eat on their own or to use to make... something even better.

24 comments:

tamilyn said...

Oh, the Dude didn't like seeing the addition of chocolate chips in peanut butter cookies-he thinks that is a sin.

Anonymous said...

Hello there, Bob, and congrats on being a Fabulous Foodie Friday blog:) I, too, must use the creaming method to make cookies. I'm glad to see that you did it by hand--no need to get things all fluffy since you're not making a cake.

They tell me that cookie dough is better the next day or even the following, but my need for instant gratification usually keeps me from refrigerating it overnight.

I like the look of these with the peanuts in them--what is the point of the cookie if it doesn't have wee pieces of peanut?

Anonymous said...

The cookies look awesome - and so pretty too! I would love some with my coffee right now!

Lauren said...

Fantastic idea to add chocolate chips to peanut butter cookies - you just can't beat that flavor combination. And hey, sometimes simple recipes yield the best results :)

The cat photos in your previous post are adorable!

vanillasugarblog said...

I'm glad I'm not the only one that does it all by hand, no mixer. Trust me I wish I had one though.
Looks good Bob, we can always count on you for a good, solid tasting cookie. Feel free to mail some out too! LOL

Anonymous said...

Yeah, cinnamon life is amazing! I used the last of the box though, so I need to go to the store and get some more asap!

I love this recipe, thank you SO much for posting! I think I'll be making these today! :)

Karen said...

I asked my gardener just yesterday if he wanted me to make him some peanut butter cookies... now I'm going to add choc chips to them! These look good and I have an idea what you're going to make with them ;)

noble pig said...

Kids cookbooks rock! These look amazing and peanut butter is a fave of mine!

Anonymous said...

Um, are we weird for wanting a copy of this kid's cookbook? It sounds fun! Agreed that you should probably follow the right steps for at least creaming the fats/sugars, but after that, we'd do the whole one bowl dump.

Bob said...

tamilyn: How odd. I think it's a crime to *not* put chocolate chips in them. ;)

onlinepastychef: Thanks! I've heard that about cookie dough too but have yet to have the occasion to try it out. Heh.

5 Star Foodie: Thanks! They went great with coffee.

Lauren: Thanks! Peanut butter and chocolate is one of my all time favorites. I'd pass on your compliments to the cats, but they are cocky enough as it is. :)

Dawn: Heh, I would. But they are gone. :)

Dlish: Let me know how they turn out!

Karen: Thanks! Heh, I'm curious what your guess is. I'm posting it on Wednesday, so I guess we'll all have to wait. :)

noble pig: Thanks! I was surprised how many of the recipes from this little book were so good. I'm going to be trying out some more of them soonish.

duo: I don't think you're weird at all. But then again, I have and use a copy of it. ;)

sj said...

yum! want some!

jesse said...

Delicious! I love the step-by-step pics... so glad I stumbled upon your blog!

unconfidentialcook said...

That dough...cookie tartare for me!!!

Reeni said...

Peanut butter cookies rock!! Putting chocolate chips in them makes them rock harder. What is this fabulous foodie friday thingie?

Arlene Delloro said...

I've bookmarked this recipe. The BF likes CRISPY peanut butter cookies and none of the recipes I've tried are crispy. I will leave out the chips--it will confuse him--but otherwise, I'm going to try them as you've written them. Will link back when I do.

Anonymous said...

Gotta have the fork marks or they wouldn't taste right! :D

Bob said...

Jo: I'd send you some if I had any left. ;)

Jesse: Thanks! Glad you stopped by.

unconfidentialcook: Heh, awesome. Cookie tartare.

Reeni: I couldn't agree more. I was featured on Finest Foodie Fridays, it's a Foodie Blogroll thing. If you click on the top of the FBR widget it will bring you to the homepage, tells you what it's all about. It's quite flattering. :)

ARLENE: Hope you enjoy them! These ones aren't super crispy, but they aren't chewy by any stretch. If you let them cool longer on the sheet they get crispier.

biz: So true. ;)

Kendra said...

OH I never knock a simple recipes. Sometimes simple is best! These look amazing :)

Noob Cook said...

looks like the perfect afternoon tea snack to me :)

Joie de vivre said...

Simple is often times the best. I like kids cookbooks because of that!

Not Another Omnivore said...

I love crosses on peanut butter cookies.

NAOmni

Anonymous said...

I have no clue how they even make suga-free syrup. Cause, isn't there natural sugars in syrup? lol.
Oh well. All I know is that it's good & only 30 calories for 1/4 cup :D

Emily said...

Wow, Bob! These look like the ultimate peanut butter cookie!

Bob said...

Kendra: I agree, but I've known those who do. Never understood it myself...

noobcook: Or for breakfast with a cup of coffee. ;)

Joie: Me too, plus they often have cool pictures. Heh.

NAOmi: They just aren't the same without them.

dlish: Every syrup I've heard of is made from sugar, which is why I asked. But hey, if you like it that's all that matters. Unless it's going to kill you...

Emily: Thanks! They're the best I've ever made, anyway. ;)

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